Fluid-current motor



April 7, 1931. J. s. RAGAINs, 1,199,439

FLUID CURRENT MToR ilednec. 7, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 5 S? @ya 116 April 7, 1931.

J. S. RAGAINS FLUID CURRENT MOTOR Filed Deo. '7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 47 157,1 .5.v I //Z /9 lll J'R gains Patented Apr. 7, 1931 i yLila-rtsi) STATES PATENT cgi-*FIC YL V1,799,439

.JAMES s. RAGAINS, or oALDwnLnInAHo :FLUID-.CURRENT Moron Application le December 7, 1929. Serial No. 412,450.

' vide an improved means whereby paddles mounted i-n pairs may vswingto aside byv side relation to feather through the liuid current during certain periods inthe operation oi "f l5 the motor.

' I yStill another Object of thel invention is to provide a vfluid current motor'employing a plurality'of paddles disposed betweenendless conveyor chains, wherein the paddle car- 20 rying portion of the structure may be adj-usted withrespect to thecurrent to controlthe u Aspeed olf' opera-tion of the motor.

The invention will 'be best understood from, aconsideration of the following detailed de'Y 25 scription taken inV connection with the 'accompanying drawingstormlng part of this speciiication, with the understanding, however,

that the invention is not Aconfined to any strict f conformity with, theshowingof the drawings but maybe changed or modiiied 'solong as such changes or modifications mark no matey y vtoothed segment v11 and mounted upon k.the 4upright `b'eam 2 adj acent the toothedsegment is a iXed lever 12 which carries the [usual `rial departurefrom the salient vfeatures of the inventionl as Vexpressed in the vappended claims.. y

' In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the motor embodying the present invention. 'f l Figure 2r is a vertical transverse section.

Figure 3v is a 'sectional viewtaken transverse'ly of a pair off paddles.

Figure L tis a sectional view linejflllo Figure 3.- y y Figure '5 is a top plan view-oit' a portion .of the motor looking toward a pair of panels, partly being in'section. L y Figure 6 is a'sectional view similar to Figure?) ,showing the panels folded.

` Referring more particularly to thev draw- $0 ings the numeral 1 indicates a supporting tion on the shaft 5g taken on the rigidly in position, the `otherend of thefarrn i land 19 are substantially'in-alignment-transf structure for the motorembodying the presl zent invention. This supporting structnne may be of any approved 4design necessary for maintaining the motor in the proper position with respect to a moving lcurrentsuohtfor .Y 55 example as a' streamof water,-.it consisting ofa pair oi-upright beams 2 mounted upon suitable bases 3, crossv connecting brace barsy or struts 4 being disposed :betweenthe npright beams 2 in the manner 'shown. 6 Extending transversely .of .the beams '2Land suitably supported thereby for rotation isla shaft 5 .one end of which .entends beyond the supporting structure 1in the'manner shown for the support of ,a gear 6. .p

Oscillatably mounted upon the shait v5 is a pair of beams 7 arranged in spaced parallel relation as shown, each .of'these beams bein-g Atransversed by the shaftmidway between its ends. At their ends the beams 7, :are-connect@ ed. by shatsS, these yshaftsV Sand the beams 7 making up lthe frame ofthe-motor structure. The shafts 8 are 'each rotatably mounted and .each carries'adjacent each end a sprocket wheel 9. The wheels on one ofthe 7 shafts 8 being vconnected with the sprocket wheels on the other of the :shaftsz'S by sprocket chains 10 whichfofl courserun the full length of the supporting beamk f? :asm

shown. l g Y' f w f 80. One of the beams 7 has secured .thereto a4 spring pressed pawl 13 whichnormally engages one of theteeth of the `segment 11' to maintain the motor frame in adjusted :posi-v y y At spaced intervals throughout each ofthe chains 10 are links 14 which have secured to- 90 their inner faces curved ar-ms `15.`v Each 'of -the "arms Vis attached vat one end to a '2link 14 in the manner showln sov that it will beheld chain are other specially formed l'inksflffthe inner face of each of whichis formed to pro videtwo bearings 18 and 19. The'bearing's'lS Y versely of the chain with the free end of an numeral 23;

arm l5.

Mounted between the two chains 10 between a pair of aligned bearings 18 is a flat paddle 20 each end edge adjacent a longitudinal edge thereof being provided with a trunnion 21 for engagement in the adjacent bearing. Adjacent Vthe vother longitudinal edge and adjacent each end each paddle has formed therethrough an elongated slot 22 through which the adjacent arm 15 extends so that as will be readily seen when the paddle swings inwardly it will swing along a pair of curved arms 15 and be brought to a stop against the bodies 16 at the free ends of these'armsin which position it will be at substantially right angles to the supporting -chains and to the path of travel thereof.

Disposed between the chains 10 are a number of frames of substantially cross-sectional design, each of which'is indicated by the n Each of these frames has a trunnion projecting from the end thereof as indicated at 24 in the corner between the right angularly related faces, these trunnions 24'being oscillatably mounted in and between Y apair of aligned bearings 19.

f One of the right angularly related faces of each of the .frames 19 is open while the other thereof is closed by a panel 25 and these frames. which will be hereinafter referred to as triangular paddles are so mounted on and between the chains 10 that the paneled side 25 may be brought intoy face opposed relation with the adjacent flat paddle 20.

:As will be understood the bars 15 are rigid with their supporting chain links so that thoseon one side of the structure will be directed oppositely from those on the other side. e

' When the motor is in use it ,may be partially or completely submerged in a moving current as for example in a stream of water,

vit being 'so positioned that the freeV ends of those arms 15 following below the shafts `8 Y will point lin the direction in which the curl lief in a plane at right angles to the chain and inthe sameplane as the adjacent paddles `2O.A When each pair ofV paddlesreaches the opposite end of the structure they will move about ,they sprocket wheels to the upper part of the structure during which movementthe paddles 20 will swing back to a position Where their side faces will beparallel with the chains andthe triangular paddles 23 will swing over to a position where their panels l 2 5 will corne into opposed relation with the adjacent paddles 20 leaving the open sides of these elements extending outwardly from the chains so that no hindrance will be offered to the flow of the current during the idling movement of the paddles. j

One of the sprocket wheel shafts 8 may be lprovided with a third sprocket wheel 26 to transmit power through the medium of a chain 27 to the center shaft 5 by means of a sprocket wheel 28 mounted thereon, this power being transferred from the center shaft through the gear 6 to any suitable power take-off mechanism.

From the foregoing discription it will be readily seen that a fluid current motor constructed in accordance with the present invention may provide an economical and easily maintained source of power for performing various operations and due to the manner in which the paddles are mounted thereon and the manner in which the structure is supported the control of the power developed by the motor will be easy.

Having thus described my invention, what claim is:

1. A fiuid current motor, comprising a frame supporting a pair of-spaced shafts, a pair of wheels on eachof said shafts, endless connecting elements between the wheels of the shafts, spaced pairs of paddle elements pivotally mounted between said endless elements, one of the paddles of each pair being arranged to swing inwardly from the adjacent chain, the other being arranged to swing outwardly therefrom, a rigid guide element arranged at each end of andhaving sliding engagement with the inwardly swinging one of the paddles of each pair to limit the movement of its swing inwardly, and an open frame of triangular cross-sectional design carrying the other paddle ofeach pair for limiting its 'swinging movement during the operation of the motor.

2. A fluid current motor, comprising a frame supporting a pairof spaced shafts, a pair of wheels on each of said shafts, endless connecting elements between the wheels of the shafts, spaced pairs of paddle elements pivotally mounted between said endless elements, one of the paddles of each pair being arranged to swing inwardly from the adjacent chain, the other being arranged to swing outwardly therefrom, a rigid arcuate arm fixed to each endless element adjacent each end of the inwardly swinging paddle of each pair, each of saidarms extending through a slot in the adjacent paddle and acting to guide the swinging movement of the same, a stop upon the` other endv of each of said arms to limit the swinging movement of the paddle thereon, and an open frame oftriangular cross-section carrying `the other paddle of each pair, said other paddle being disposed in one of the right angularly related sides of its supporting frame.

arranged toswing inwardly from the adj acent chain, the other being arranged to swing outwardly therefrom, a rigidarcuate armv fixedvto each endless element adjacent each end of the inwardly swinging paddle of each pair, each of said arms extendingthrough a slot in the adjacent paddle and acting to guide the swinging movement of the same, a stop upon the other end of each 0f Said arms to limit the swinging movement ofthe paddle thereon, an open frame of triangular cross-section carrying the other paddle of each pair, said other paddle being disposed inV one of the right angularly related sides of its supporting frame, and means for vtransmitting power from one of said endless element carrying wheels to a take-off element.

4f. A fluid current motor comprising a supporting frame, a shaft carried by the frame, a motor frame comprising a pair of beams each pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon said shaft and transverse shafts connecting the ends of said beams, a pair of sprocket wheels supported upon each of said transverse shafts, sprocket chains connecting the wheels on one of the transverse shafts with those on the other transverse shaft,

= arcuate arms secured at spaced intervals to each of said` sprocket chains and extending inwardly thereof, and a paddle pivotally mounted between the sprocket chains adjacent each of said arms', each paddle having slots therein to receive the adjacent. arms, said arms maintaining the paddles in a plane extending transversely of the chains during a period in the operation of the motor.

for pivotally securing each frame at its ends to the yadjacentychains in close vproximity to the pivot point of the adjacent paddle, and a panel disposed within one of the two right angularly related sides of each frame, said frames when in one position tain the panels therein in a plane `extending transversely of the chains to coact with the adjacent paddles during a period, in the operation of the motor to receive the force of fluid current.

signature. JAMES S. RAGAINS.

5. A fluid current motor comprising a supporting frame, a shaft carried by the frame, a motorframe comprising a pair of beams each pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon said shaft and transverse shafts connecting the ends of said beams, a pair of sprocket wheels supported upon eachof said transverse shafts, sprocket chains connect ing the wheels on one yof the transverse shafts with those on the other transverse shaft, arcuate arms secured at spaced intervals to each'of said sprocket chains and extending inwardly'thereof, a paddle piv-otally mounted between the sprocket chains adjacent each of said arms, each paddle having slots therein to receive the adjacent arms, said arms maintaining the paddles in a plane extending transversely of the chains during a period of the operation of the motor,an 'open frame structure of substantially triangular cross-sectional design arranged between the chains adjacent each of said paddles, meansV acting to main- In testimony whereof I-her-eunto aiX my 

